The GLCC exists as a worldwide forum to advocate on behalf of people with lung cancer.

Despite recent advances in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer, it remains the world’s biggest cancer killer. In 2022, there were 2,480,675 new cases of lung cancer worldwide.[i]

Given the threat lung cancer presents to people and communities across the world, the importance of lung cancer research cannot be understated. It can accelerate the introduction of new and innovative treatments, lead to leaps forward in standards of care, and can significantly improve the experience of patients with lung cancer.

The GLCC has been working with the Institute for Cancer Policy (ICP) since 2015 to better understand the status of lung cancer research globally.

Global trends

Trends over the last ten years have shown a welcome increase in the amount of lung cancer research, compared with breast and bowel. Specifically, there has been a notable surge in the research undertaken in immuno-oncology treatments, now the dominant area of research across lung cancer where there has been an encouraging increase in international collaboration.

However, only 24 countries have undertaken significant lung cancer research in this time.[1] Of these, China and the United States have produced the vast majority of papers, with the former accounting for nearly 36% of the world’s total papers by 2021.

Although there are encouraging signs in the data, the ICP research findings are clear that more must be done to ensure greater investment in, diversity of, and collaboration on lung cancer research for the future of lung cancer care.

The GLCC has therefore created a ‘position document’ in which we outline what key actions we believe national governments should prioritise to strengthen the future of lung cancer research.

You can read the GLCC Position Statement in full here.

Notes:

[1] The 24 countries responsible for the majority of lung cancer research globally are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the UK and the USA.

[i] Lung cancer statistics. World Cancer Research Fund International. Accessed August 2024. Available here: https://www.wcrf.org/cancer-trends/lung-cancer-statistics/